


Banana Ice Cream and Sunshine

by BabyChocoboAlchemist



Category: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, 牧場物語つながる新天地 | Story of Seasons
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Budding Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Love, Gay Male Character, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Self-Discovery, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Worth Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyChocoboAlchemist/pseuds/BabyChocoboAlchemist
Summary: Ludus overworks himself during the hottest day on Lulukoko’s record. Brody, Westown’s newest farmer, stumbles upon the unconscious craftsman, carries him home and looks after him until friends arrive. But while the two of them appear to be nothing more than really good friends, something much deeper seems to be brewing beneath the surface. It’s something Ludus can’t put his finger on, though. Is the new farmer really nothing more than a little brother, or is there something more to their connection?(Also known as me being inspired by the scorching Summer heat in Arizona, and hoping to make at least one person smile with this.)
Relationships: Farmer/Ludus (Trio of Towns), Ludus & Male Farmer (Trio of Towns), Ludus/Male Farmer (Trio of Towns), Ludus/Male MC
Kudos: 6





	Banana Ice Cream and Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for stopping by! I hope you find something about this to enjoy.
> 
> This is the Ludus version of ‘Cute Cowboy Cookies and Lemonade’, the original fic featuring Wayne collapsing from heat stroke, this one giving Ludus the same issue. I thought Ludus was the perfect candidate for such a situation, considering how hard he works for everyone. He’s always building one thing or another.
> 
> Brody, the farmer in this piece, runs Firefly Farm. He’s the male player character with black hair and brown eyes. I’ll let you take his physical appearance from there. :) 
> 
> Thank you for being here. Stay safe and please take care.
> 
> *kaikaina: little brother in Hawaiian.

_He’s suspended in mid-air, but drowning all at once, lungs scrambling for even the slightest pinch of air. Everything within him and around him is caving in, crumbling as though it hadn’t been held up by anything but threads to begin with. Finding his footing is impossible; there is no ground to plant himself on, nothing to hold onto. It’s a strange feeling, running, drowning and being frozen in mid-air all at once, but it’s impossible to escape._

_A sea of faces emerges from the ravenous darkness. They’re all familiar, faces he knows as well as his own name, but they’re looming over him, fierce and intimidating. Casting demands at him by the hundreds. Leaving no room, no air, no place for him to be. He calls out their names, desperately hoping they’ll help him, but the moment they see he isn’t fulfilling their demands, they turn their backs on him. Iluka, Siluka, even Nana-they’re all leaving, just as his parents did, all those years ago. He wants them to stay, needs them to stay, but they’d rather go on walking, so he keeps on drowning. Floating in mid-air, held in the air only by a thread._

_Tears scorch the insides of his eyes. Pain thrashes around in his skull as he fights against it, fights to free himself, fights to fill their demands so they’ll stay. But all he’s doing is flailing against the overwhelming darkness. His arms, his feet, his voice-nothing’s able to cut through. And they’re gone. No different from his parents. No different from anyone else._

_He tries to call out their names, but the effort makes his throat burn with a vengeance. Every name he calls burns him from the inside-out. More tears wrench themselves from his eyes as he crashes to his knees, hands gripping the sides of his head, heart racing in a dimension he does not understand, but has always feared. A familiar sound falls into his ears, but does not bring about the slightest bit of comfort-it is the sound of a rising wave. A wave that cannot be seen, due to the deafening darkness that surrounds him, but a wave that is definitely making itself known. He’s frozen as it looms above him, threatening to swallow him alive. The very second the wave makes contact-_

“Ludus! Ludus, c’mon, wake up!”

Ludus’ eyes flew open. Heart racing a hundred miles a minute, his mind desperately tried to make sense of things as the upper half of his body shot up. There were hands, gentle, kind hands on his shoulders, and he wasn’t anywhere a sea of darkness. There certainly wasn’t any wave, no matter how hard he looked for it. His eyes darted to and fro in a heartbeat, looking for a threat that just wasn’t there. Thankfully, a friend _was._ “You’re okay now,” the friend assured him, his voice warm, familiar, comforting. Accompanied by the sweet scent of ocean waves. They must’ve still been in Lulukoko.

“You’re safe. You had a pretty bad nightmare, and a pretty bad spell, but you’re safe now.”

Nana’s successor blinked furiously at him, still scrambling to collect the fragments of his surroundings, working to put them in place. That was right-he was in the middle of an assignment, building a ship for one of his customers, and must’ve collapsed. The afternoon sun must’ve battered him into submission, which was odd, considering he thought he could take the Summer heat. Ludus assumed he could take _anything._ But the sun apparently saw fit to prove just how much of a weakling he really was. Thankfully, someone was with him, and had all the patience in the world. Not only that, but he was at home. Immersed in and surrounded by all of the gifts of life he associated with the word ‘home’, the greatest gift of life being several inches in front of him, with brown eyes brushed by moondust. “E kala mai,” the craftsman groaned, setting a hand against his forehead, shutting his eyes against an onslaught of light, heat and pain. 

“Sorry about putting you through a world of trouble, Brody. I must’ve collapsed while working on one of my customer’s orders. _Please_ don’t tell me you carried me all the way back here.”

The young farmer responsible for Firefly Farm nodded, brown eyes glittering with the afternoon’s glow. He shouldn’t have been anywhere near him, should’ve been tending to his crops or animals, but a certain someone had to inconvenience him. Brody was probably just passing by, stopping by to mail something or complete some other job in Lulukoko, only to find an unconscious construction worker. “I did,” the brunette beside Ludus chirped with a radiant smile, tilting his head. “But don’t obsess over the details. I never do, and it hasn’t tripped me up yet. I’m just glad you’re awake.” He then settled a hand on Ludus’ forehead, sending the latter’s heart into a realm of cartwheels for reasons he couldn’t put his finger on. “You’re feeling at least a _little_ better, right?” Brody asked, brown eyes aglow with worry.

Ludus swatted the other’s hand away, suddenly uncomfortable with the butterflies and knots wrestling in the pit of his stomach. He averted his eyes from the farmer’s face, nauseating pain and panic suddenly sweeping over him like a tidal wave. “I think so,” he replied, then groaned again. “Hopefully the others aren’t _too_ worried about me.”

Brody’s eyes lit up like a forest of fireflies, enchanting and deep, warm and playful. “The girls are _always_ worried about you,” he revealed, referring to Iluka and Siluka. “Tototara puts on a brave face, but she’s worried about you too. They’ll be back pretty quickly-they’re out picking up the stuff for Banana Ice Cream. I told them I’d take care of you, so they were pretty cool with leaving you behind. Don’t worry,” the brunette added, putting a finger to his lips. “I won’t be too horrible to you. On the Goddess’ honor.”

Considering Ludus was safely tucked into his bed, inside of his home, immersed in Lulukoko’s fragrant winds and glow, there wasn’t too much to complain about. _And_ he was out of the afternoon heat. “I’m pretty sure I can handle you, kaikaina,” the craftsman chuckled fondly, the sound weak but overflowing with an abundance of warmth. “But shouldn’t you be at home? I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than babysit _me.”_

Firefly Farm’s owner gave Ludus another blinding smile. “Nothing’s more important than taking care of a friend. Except for maybe Banana Ice Cream. Just maybe. I’ll get back to you on that.” The mischief then fled from Brody’s eyes, leaving behind an abundance of concern. “On another note,” the farmer began gently, pressing a cup into Ludus’ hands. Ah-it was a cup of iced banana juice. While anyone else might have bolted at the mere thought of so much banana, Ludus took it with a grateful smile. “What happened back there?” Brody asked, his voice soft, worried. “Safe to assume you went overboard?”

A sheepish craftsman smiled nervously at him, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess I did,” he sighed, inwardly skewering himself, hating himself for forcing others to worry about him. “I underestimated the sun and paid for my carelessness. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about all of the trouble you’ve been through, on my behalf, but I’m grateful you were around. I’m grateful you’re _here.”_

The farmer settled a gentle hand on the other’s arm, frowning, his face aglow with soft fear. “If you’re really interested in paying me back, how about taking better care of yourself?” Brody urged. Ludus opened his mouth to protest, but was beaten by the farmer giving even more of a voice to his thoughts. “You’re _always_ running around, working yourself to the bone for everyone else, but you don’t give yourself the time of day. Considering what just happened, it _might_ be time to change things up a little.”

Siluka and Iluka’s friend laughed once more, the sound laden with embarrassment and warmth. “You might be right. I at least have to take it easy during the Summer. Nana says this Summer’s going to be a _hot_ one-the hottest one we’ve had so far. I thought I could handle it, but apparently I can’t. I just want to make sure I give nothing less than my best for my customers, though. I may have pushed myself a little too hard, but I can’t regret wanting to give that job my all. It’s just not in me.”

He then smiled, the day’s blue grace and breezes lighting up his face. “Thank you for being around, though, Brody. I’ll try to be a little more careful in the future. You have my word.” It was at that moment Ludus finished off the banana juice, beaming from the inside out, glowing as though he had been the elixir of life. “Guess we know what your favorite food is,” the farmer said, eyes twinkling as though they had been kissed by the afternoon sun and brushed by stardust. 

“Well, you’ve got an appetite, which means you have to be feeling at least a little better. Super glad to see you’re on the mend, Ludus-but if you really wanna pay me back, don’t let this happen again.”

“I’ll try not to,” came the frail but warm, cheerful response. He then gripped the back of his head, suddenly hit by thunder and lightning, fire and violent bursts of air, all at once. Taking immediate note of his friend’s pain, Brody rushed for a damp cloth, added what must’ve been a touch of citrus to the towel, then mopped it against the back of his friend’s neck. The instant sensation of coolness was welcoming; Ludus gasped as soon as the cloth hit, grimacing, then shut his eyes in a show of relief. “Mahalo,” the craftsman said, small smile gracing his face.

“You know what? It’s strange, considering we’ve only known each other for a few months, but there’s something _special_ about our connection. I feel as though we’ve known each other for _years._ There’s something-no, _everything_ about you makes me feel safe. So thank you, kaikaina.”

The young farmer with brown eyes made of daybreak leaned towards Ludus. “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you dreaming about? Might help to talk about it.”

Ludus winced as his mind returned to that void, that chasm in which nothing was sacred and everything was swallowed alive. Noting the look on his friend’s face, Brody squeezed the craftsman’s arm, eyes aglow with worry. “Nothing for you to concern yourself with,” Tototara’s successor tried to assure him, shaking his head, the space between them small, warm, forgiving. “Just everything that haunts me, I guess. Me feeling like I’ll never be enough for those I care about. Me feeling like I’m...well, I’m working myself into an early grave, trying to get so many things done for everyone. But...while I’d rather _not_ run myself into an early grave...I also don’t want to disappoint anyone. They all mean so much to me-I can’t ever afford to let any of them down.”

Brody’s tone retained its usual, deep warmth, but adopted a little bit of a firmer edge. “You thank me for looking after you, but feel like you can’t ever let anyone down? I know there are two sides to a coin, Ludus, but this isn’t making any sense.” He made it so their foreheads met, brushing against each other, the distance between them even warmer, cooler, alive with the scent of the nearby ocean. “If you’re down ‘n out, you can’t help _anyone,”_ the farmer reminded him. “You can help people all you want-just try to take care of yourself from now on. If you don’t want anyone to worry about you, try that out. See how it works out. Okay?”

Ludus smiled for what felt like the first time in years, his forehead still brushing Brody’s, his heart lighter than the feather and the clouds and every star that ever danced above Lulukoko’s open waters. He laughed, the sound weak but happy, filled with wind chimes, starlight and merriment. “You got me,” he told the other. “Okay, okay, I’ll try to be more careful from here on out.”

“You two are looking pretty chummy in here, if you don’t mind me saying so. Are we interrupting anything?”

With a gasp, Brody and Ludus turned to two figures that had just entered Ludus’ home: the twins. Iluka’s hands were on her hips, and mischief had taken flight, forming a fox’s smile on her lips. “We came to make you ice cream,” she told the two, while Siluka settled groceries on nearby countertops. “But if you two are _busy-”_

“Hey, don’t let me get in the way, he’s all yours,” Brody rushed to his feet, palms outstretched towards Iluka, while Siluka muttered something about ‘competition’, arranging the ingredients for one of Ludus’ favorite dishes. Blushing, the brunette made his way towards the door, backing out towards it, knowing the craftsman would be in the best imaginable hands. With quick, warm goodbyes to all three friends, the farmer soon disappeared, leaving the twins to look after Ludus. “Mind telling me what _that_ was all about?” Iluka demanded, whirling around on Ludus a moment after Brody shut the door. There was a smile playing on her lips, full of mischief but fortunately void of malice. Siluka wasn’t at all bothered by what took place, either-but why was _Ludus?_ Brody never had his mind, heart or stomach in knots-not until that afternoon. 

Bowing his head, hoping to conceal a face burning with shyness, Ludus offered an explanation: “Nothing much. He was just looking after me until you guys came back.”

“Yeah, well, from what Siluka and I saw, he was ‘looking’ after you pretty well. He _did_ carry you all the way back here.”

“Hey, quit it, all right?” Ludus asked immediately, his voice fragile but shrill. “Brody’s like a little brother to me!”

Siluka drove the final nail into his coffin without even facing him, getting ready to whip up a batch of his favorite ice cream. “Maybe if you keep telling yourself that, you’ll believe it.”


End file.
